variants
also skunk
as in dogs
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
he's nothing but a dirty, rotten skunk
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bombs
to defeat by a large margin
we ended up skunking them, as our goalie was able to prevent the other team from scoring a single goal
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in masters
to achieve a victory over
our football team consistently skunks our traditional rivals Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stings
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
unwilling to let suppliers skunk him, the restaurant owner inspected every shipment before signing off on it
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skunks
Stuart Dyos, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
While striped skunk is edible, Coalition Brewing warns against its strong odor, scavenger diet and susceptibility to parasites.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
That’s a sure way to invite not only raccoons but other unwanted guests such as mice, opossums, and skunks.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
Animals that typically carry rabies are bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Your neighborhood is home to all sorts of amazing animals, from racoons, squirrels and skunks to birds, bugs and snails.
—Steven Sullivan, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Rabies can be found in many other wildlife species, including raccoons, skunks, coyotes and foxes.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Around 75% of Americans are exposed to raccoons, skunks and foxes — the very wildlife that commonly spread the fatal disease to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The skunk with distemper is stuck in the window well again, chewing incessantly on the garden hose that is coiled up in there.
—Miriam Toews
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
While striped skunk is edible, Coalition Brewing warns against its strong odor, scavenger diet and susceptibility to parasites.
—Stuart Dyos, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
While striped skunk is edible, Coalition Brewing warns against its strong odor, scavenger diet and susceptibility to parasites.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
That’s a sure way to invite not only raccoons but other unwanted guests such as mice, opossums, and skunks.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
Animals that typically carry rabies are bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Your neighborhood is home to all sorts of amazing animals, from racoons, squirrels and skunks to birds, bugs and snails.
—Steven Sullivan, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Rabies can be found in many other wildlife species, including raccoons, skunks, coyotes and foxes.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Around 75% of Americans are exposed to raccoons, skunks and foxes — the very wildlife that commonly spread the fatal disease to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The skunk with distemper is stuck in the window well again, chewing incessantly on the garden hose that is coiled up in there.
—Miriam Toews
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunks
Noun
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Humans have a much larger neocortex than other animals, relative to body size, and the species with the largest neocortices—elephants, dolphins, gorillas, chimpanzees, dogs—are among the most intelligent.—
James Somers,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Humanoids, robotic dogs, and articulated arms don wigs, witch hats, and googly eyes, dancing under red and blue strobes.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Ukraine bombs Russian energy infrastructure to defend civilians and destroy the Kremlin war machine.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Oct. 2025
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Remind them their worth is non-negotiable When your child fails — gets cut from the team, bombs a test — remind them their value isn't up for debate.—
Jennifer Breheny Wallace,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This storied sandwich is served each year at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia; and many have long tried to replicate the recipe, which seemingly masters the perfect ratio of ingredients for classic egg salad.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
23 Aug. 2025
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Focus is difficult and hardly anyone masters the skill.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Even though the defeat stings, all the Hurricanes’ goals are still there for the taking.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
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But for Hovland, the lingering frustration of missing Sunday singles and watching Harris English sit out for no fault of his own still stings.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the video, Campos whips her long hair in disbelief.—
Christina Noriega,
Refinery29,
13 Oct. 2025
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So unless Benito uncharacteristically whips out a slate of cover songs, his set will be entirely in Spanish.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to Politico, a landslide election generally refers to a race in which the winning candidate defeats their opponent by a margin of at least 10 percentage points.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
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In these sparsely populated spaces, the mountain always defeats the human, instilling a deep respect for the environment.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Blashill wants the Blackhawks to be a fast-pressure team at both ends of the rink, one that attacks vertically but never cheats for offense.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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By the mid 19th century, clowns were more central to circus entertainment, and their acts more risqué.—
Time,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
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The clowns come at you quickly at Fast Splash Car Wash in Detroit, Mich.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skunks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunks. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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